Buckle.



Patented Mar. 4, |902.

J. H. HART.

BUCKLE.

(Application led June 21, 1900.)

(N0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HARRY HART, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

BUCKLE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,379, dated March 4,1902.

Application led J'une 21,1900.

To @ZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HARRY HART, a citizen of the UnitedStatesresidin`g at Memphis, in the State of Tennessee, Ahave inventedcertain new and useful .Improvements in Buckles; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to ,which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements involved inthe construction of buckles; and it consists of certain details ofcombination and construction of parts, as will be hereinafterparticularly set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a buckle which may be cheaplyand expeditiously manufactured and which will be found desirablev formeeting all of the various rcquirements and uses to which a buckle maybe subjected, as upon the various parts of harness, dto.

A further object is to so construct and mount the tongue in positionthat it will be reliably anchored in place and will be largely relievedof the lateral strain now incident to buckle-tongues as commonlyconstructed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my bucklecomplete applied to use upon the end of the strap. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of Fig. 1 on line 2 2. Fig.

3 is a similar view to that presented in Fig.

2, except that the strap is removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig.1 on line :o x.

In order to conveniently refer to the several parts of my invention andtheir coperating parts, numerals will be employed, of which 1 indicatesthe buckle, which is provided with the end bars 2 and 3 and theintermediate bars 4 and 5. This frame may be curved as desired, and thecross-bar 4 extends across the frame in a straight line therewith, asshown. The cross-bar 5 is bent downwardly, so that at its middleportion, where it cooperates with the tongue, it is considerably belowthe level of the buckle, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This cross-bar iscurved downwardly, as shown, sc that the tongue will be presented at agreater angle to the strap than would be done if the bar 5 extendedSerial No. 21,038. (No model.)

straight across in a line with the frame, as is usual. By dropping thebar downwardly below the level of the frame the tongue, whether pivotedupon the end bar 3 or the cross-bar 5, is turned at a greater angle thanusual, and hence there is less bending of the strap at that point Wherethe tongue passes through it. At the center of this curved cross-bar 5there is formed a notch to receive the point of the tongue, and at thebottom of this notch lOis formed a small recess 11. The tongue (3 iscurved, as shown, so as to cooperate with the downwardlycurvedcross-bar, and passes through the strap E) at a greater angle than wouldotherwise be the case. Upon the under side of the free end of the tongueis formed a small projection 12, which tits in the recess 1l, while theouter end of the tongue itself catches in the notch lO, which extendstransversely across the top of the cross-bar 5. It is immaterialwheth-er this tongue is pivoted upon the cross-bar 5 and rests upon theend bar 3 or Whether it is pivoted upon the end bar and has its free endcooperate only with the curved cross-bar 5. ln order to prevent anylateral movement of the tongue either upon the end bar 3 or thecross-bar 5, a notch 7 is formed in said bars where the tongue iswrapped around, and by the end of the tongue catching in the notch 7 andthe projection 12 upon its free end catching in the recess 11 and theend of the tongue itself catching in the notch l0 all lateral movementof the tongue is absolutely prevented, and the tongue can be adjustedinto an operative position, while permitting the same to be freely movedinto engagement with the loop 8 of the strap. This strap is fastened tothe buckle by being wrapped around the cross-bar 4 and properly sewed orriveted in placein the usual manner. If deemed desirable, the notch 10may have the depression or recess 11, designed to receive the point 12,integrally formed upon the end of the buckle-tongue, as clearly shown inFigs. 2 and 3. By curving the body and the cross-bar I am enabled to getthe'parts of the buckle between the ends on a plane below the planethrough said ends, and the strain on the strap serves to keep the tonguedown and prevents its accidental displacement. By disposing the tongueof the buckle as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the pointed end of thetongue ICO is hidden from view, being disposed beneath the strap-section8, and therefore said end of the tongue will not be liable to scratchthe hand of the operator or the animal upon which it is used or do otherdamage. By thus providingan extra bar upon which the tongue is disposedthere is nO necessity of weakening v the strap by providing the usualaperture therein through which the tongue may extend; but said strap maybe left in its full strength and simply loop around theend of thebuckle-frame and secured by stitching, riveting, or otherwise.

By seating the buckle-tongue Within a recess formed upon the extra baror upon the end of the buckleframe', as the case may be, I am not onlyenabled to avoid the necessity of cutting but a very small hole in thevstrap as itreaches around this portion of the buckle, but said groovealso prevents any lateral movement of the tongue and insures that saidtongue will be reliably held `in its adj usted position. Theimprovement, therefore, of providing a groove in which to seat thepivoted end of the buckle-tongue may be applied with advantage tobuckles as now in common use.

My improved buckle may be mounted in position very readily, inasmuch asall that is necessary to vbe done is to loop the end of the strap aroundthe end of the frame or around the extra bar, as the case maybe, and sewor otherwise secure the same, it being entirely unnecessary to providean aperture in the strap, which must be more or less accurately locatedin Order to insure that the aperture will coperate with the tongue.

Believing that the advantages, construction, and use of my improvedbuckle and the different forms thereofhave been made fully apparent inthe foregoing specification, further reference to the details thereof isdeemed unnecessary.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improved article of manufacture the buckle herein describedcomprising a body portion having curved side bars, a downwardly-curvedcross-bar which extends below the level of the body of the buckle, andhaving a notch across its surface to receive the end of the tongue and arecess at the bottom of the said notch, combined with the curved tonguewhich cooperates with said cross-bar, concaved on its under face andprovided with a right-angled projection On its under side inj dependentof and in addition toits point and disposed between said point and thepivot of the tongue to engage in the said recess of the said notch, allsubstantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN HARRY HART. Witnesses:

C. L. WATSON, COOPER TURNER.

